Frills
by xChaiChanx
Summary: Makoto has some... difficulties with picking out birthday presents for girls. Tarou never realized how much he was getting into when he offered to help. Makoto/Tarou and Masayuki/Hoshino. Shounen-ai one-shot.


**Hello all! This fic was written for two good friends of mine who adore this couple. Though I have to say writing this was a lot of fun and I hope I did a good job with it. **

**Pairings: Makoto/Tarou and Masayuki/Hoshino**

**Warnings: Shounen-ai so no lieky no read.**

**Hope you enjoy and I don't own Ghost Hound!**

* * *

"Dad…"

"Oh I just got those invitations printed up for your friends, don't you like them?" Miyako examined the bright pink ribbons and blindingly bright sparkles that wrote out her name.

MIYAKO'S TURNING 12  
WHERE?!: THE OLD SHRINE  
WHEN?!: IN 3 WEEKS!  
BRING YOUR FRIENDS!  
EVERYONE'S INVITED!!

The girl sighed but smiled to herself admiring her father's effort. But… still it was just so… so…

Pink.

----------------

"Wow…" Tarou mouthed. "Just… wow."

"…what's with that expression?!" Makoto snapped back at the shorter boy as he stopped his pacing from in front of the park bench.

"I mean… I never…" Tarou ruffled the fabric in his hands. "Never pictured you buying anything like this."

"Well I mean I don't know what little kids like! And her invitation was pink too so what else was I supposed to get?!" Makoto blushed and started pacing again as Tarou pulled out an apron.

"Why a maid?" Tarou asked rummaging through the box some more only to find a ruffled white dress with a bright pink apron and a matching bow. Tarou pulled the dress out a little more only to see that… it left little to the imagination, what with how short it was. No doubt about it, the shrine's priest would most definitely beat Makoto to a pulp in fatherly rage if he gave this.

"Well the saleslady told me that kids her age liked to dress up and showed me this. I mean… it's not too bad is it?" Tarou let a sweat drop from his forehead at his friend's oblivious nature as he pulled out some beaded knee socks. Just what kind of saleslady was this?!

"No, it's fine, really. I just need my mom to add some finishing details to it," _like extending the length_ "like a little extra beading or something. Is that alright with you?"

"I don't really care, just have it ready by the party."

"I'm sure it will be. My mom doesn't have much too lately so she should be able to finish it up pretty quickly." Tarou said with a smile and Makoto nodded and finally sat down on the bench.

"Thanks, I guess I don't really get it when it comes to shopping and girls."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Tarou smiled and then sneezed a few times in a row.

"Are you alright?" Makoto asked not looking in Tarou's direction.

"Yea, just a little cold, I should-" before Tarou had a chance to finish warmth was spread all over his body as the piece of cloth fell over his shoulders. He looked up to see Makoto without his heavy coat standing above him behind the bench. Still he refused to meet his gaze.

"I have to catch my bus." Makoto said quickly.

"Umm… see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Tarou watched Makoto's retreating back as he ran down the path to the bus stop before pulling his arms completely through the arm holes and closing the box of pink fluff. Tarou stood, box in hand, and began to walk home to see it was beginning to snow.

Somehow he felt so…

Warm.

---------------------

"I'm home," Tarou called his tone a little brighter than expected. He began to take off his shoes when he noticed an extra pair in the doorway.

"Welcome home, Tarou-kun." His mother said quietly, her hands folded in front of her.

"Good to be home, do we have a visitor?"

"Yo!" Masayuki called coming out of seemingly nowhere.

"Oh, hi. What's up?" Tarou asked a bit bewildered as he began to head up to his room, followed by the chestnut haired boy.

"Nothing much, just wanted to see how my buddy was doing on the last day of winter break." Masayuki said with a bright smile.

"You want to copy my homework?" Tarou asked a bit too innocently for someone who had just seen right through the teenage boy's plot.

"Aha! It's funny how well we know each other!"

"Well you're not going to get anything out of me, you should do your own work." Tarou said gently, no slight of malice in his voice. "But why are you asking me? Don't you usually copy Hoshino's?" Tarou said taking off the jacket and placing the box with the dress on the bed, making it bounce up and causing the lid to fall off a bit. Masayuki eyed the frills popping out but shook his head and continued.

"Meh, he's still out of town for break, he won't be getting back with his family until later tonight or early tomorrow morning. I don't even think he's coming to school tomorrow." Masayuki said rubbing the back of his head, eyes focusing on the floor of Tarou's room.

"Oh that's a shame; I was looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at school." Tarou said hanging up the coat, not even facing Masayuki anymore.

"Tarou-kun! Could you come here for a minute?"

"Uh, sure thing mom!" Tarou called down. "Hang on just a second." He said looking over to Masayuki before heading downstairs.

The boy observed the vacated room. It was pretty empty aside from the bed, which had just recently replaced his futon if he remembered correctly from freshmen year, the cluttered desk and a single bookshelf. That's why it was pretty easy to focus on the bright pink frills shining from the corner of the mysterious box.

Masayuki looked around the room a little bit and down the hallway before creeping his way toward the box. He looked around again, as if he were a kid trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar, and slowly opened the box. At first his expression was confused until his eyes brightened and his smirk turned evil.

-------------------

"Yea mom? Did you need my help?" Tarou said entering the kitchen.

"Yes, do you think you could set the table? I'm a little busy with everything else." She said looking over her shoulder from the stove. Tarou nodded and pulled out the placemats and utensils from a drawer before neatly setting the table.

"Tarou! I'm leaving!" Masayuki called from the entrance way.

"Um… O-" SLAM. "Kay… What was the about?" Tarou asked himself quietly but continued setting the table.

"Tarou-kun, go get washed up for dinner." His father said as he entered the kitchen, just finishing setting the table.

"Yea, okay." Tarou said and half walked half ran upstairs to wash his hands and get the dress to show his mom. Hoping that she would be able to do something, her or maybe Kei-san. Tarou entered his room and walked over to the white box lying on his bed and he readied himself to pick it up only to find it extremely light. Confused, Tarou took off the lid to find it completely empty.

"E-Eh?! Where'd it go?! Where'd it go?!" Tarou said searching the room all over trying to find the dress. "This is not good!"

Of course after five minutes of searching his dad called him down for dinner anyway, causing Tarou's stomach to fall into lumps and unable to eat his dinner. He lost this dress. This was definitely not good.

-----------------------

"Oogami, good morning buddy long time no see." Masayuki said happily as he leaned over the sunken head.

"If it were up to me it would be long time never see."

"Aw you don't have to be so cruel to me, on the first day back from break too." The boy said looking hurt as he clutched his heart.

"Please, I don't have the energy to keep up with you today," Makoto groaned slightly to himself as he lifted himself from the desk and began to walk out of the room. Masayuki watched him leave with a giant smirk on his face. "God, that guy gets on my nerves…"

Makoto said to himself when he suddenly bumped into a smaller form, looking down only to see that it was Tarou.

"O-oh sorry about that, umm…" Tarou said stuttering. "H-here… your jacket. Thank you for lending it to me." The shorter boy still couldn't look him in the eye. Makoto had been so nice to him and yet he still hadn't been able to find the dress even though he had been searching all night for it.

"Yea no problem." Makoto said taking it back as he slung it over his shoulder. "Was it warm enough?"

"Yea, it was great it's a really nice jacket. Umm… I mean it's comfortable too."

"That's surprising considering you were swimming in it." Makoto said with a straight face as he slightly hit his knuckle to the top of Tarou's head who laughed a bit before finally looking up. Tarou still felt awful about losing Makoto's present for the young girl from the shrine but he was determined not to let him find out about it. He said he would have it ready by the party and he was true to his word. Tarou smiled at Makoto and then headed back to class, a bit more confident but still as worried as ever.

It wasn't until lunch break that Tarou's confidence really shot to hell. He had worried about it all through his first three periods until he felt himself shiver a bit from feeling slightly unwell. Tarou sighed as he coughed a bit before placing his head on the desk. What a long day this would be.

"TAROU!" Masayuki said as he slammed his hand on the desk.

"Ahhhhh!" Tarou said almost falling out of his chair from the shock of being woken from his daze.

"Oh good, you're awake." Masayuki said devilishly.

"I guess I am… can I help you with something?" Tarou asked trying to sound passive but it really only came out as a small pout.

"I know you lost it." Masayuki said simply making Tarou freeze.

"You know?!" Tarou whispered, whipping his head around to face the boy before him. "How?!"

"I just know these things." Masayuki spoke the words with such a smug satisfaction that Tarou went over the events in his head before snapping his head up to face the boy. He tried to glare at Masayuki but the best he could do was look annoyed.

"You took it?!" Tarou exclaimed more than questioned standing up in his seat. "Why'd you do that?!" Tarou asked desperately aggravated as the taller boy sported that smirk again.

"If I were you I would be nice to me, especially considering that you would definitely not want Makoto to find out who has his precious dress. He would probably get angry if he found out who of all people had it." Masayuki said as he examined the tie of his uniform. Tarou tried to glare at him but ended up just burying his face in his hands.

"What do you want?" Tarou asked exasperated.

"Let's see… let's start off with a soda." Masayuki said as he smiled brightly, closing both his eyes in the process giving Tarou the opportunity to stand there in disgusted shock before sticking out his tongue at him quickly and heading to the vending machines.

"How did I get into this mess?" Tarou said to himself as he bowed his head in a sigh before the vending machine. He lifted his hand to press the button only to find that he was missing another yen piece. He searched his pockets in his jacket and sweat pants until he heard a small clunk of coins hitting the inner walls of the vending machine as the drink fell into the opening at the bottom of the machine.

"Huh?" Tarou wondered aloud as he looked up to see Makoto standing behind him. He watched as the boy reached down and handed the soda to him.

"Oh, thanks." Tarou said with a bright smile and Makoto looked at the boy it what would've been shock if the expression had rested on his face for more than the two seconds it did.

"Yea, no problem." Makoto said looking at his feet for a moment and as he looked up he saw Tarou heading down the hall, soda in hand. Makoto sighed as he watched the figure run away before rubbing the back of his head as he cringed.

"I'm so pathetic." He whispered angrily to himself as he headed back to class.

------------------------

The next two days Tarou was being driven completely insane. Masayuki refused to give him back that stupid dress no matter what he did. He had gotten drinks, lunch, even dinner for the obnoxious teen. He had done homework, sent thank you cards to his relatives and patched a hole in his uniform coat. Tarou was exhausted to say the least and honestly it was the last straw what Masayuki was having him do next. A blush came to his face when he thought of the given task.

"_I'm bored of watching you two trying to figure it out on your own. So just ask him out on a date already. That's an order, Tarou-kun."_

Tarou shivered at the memory especially after thinking of the wink and suggestive smirk that was sent his way right after the statement. Tarou poked his head out of the classroom. He couldn't do this, no way could he do this.

Then again he thought of the consequences that came with disobeying the order and suddenly he wondered which was worse; having Makoto angry with him or getting… rejected by him.

Both made him feel sick to his stomach and Tarou crouched down in the hallway as a blushed covered his pale features and he buried a hand in his hair. He had to think, which one really was worse? Was Masayuki right, was there something going on between them that they just couldn't register? Tarou shook his head and hoped that in the process he could shake off the blush.

But… then again, after this whole situation was over and he had the dress back maybe he could just explain to Makoto what had happened and maybe just maybe he would understand. He would just have to hope it worked as he rose from his position in the hallway. He fisted his hands and began to walk down the hallway with a determined glare.

Of course… it wasn't long until Tarou had realized most of his energy had gone to waste when he couldn't find the black haired boy anywhere. Tarou stopped his walk and rested his back against the wall sighing. Maybe it was better that he couldn't find him, maybe it was better if he never found him ever again, maybe better if he never saw him again so he would never have to go through with this ever.

"Tarou?" A voice asked.

"Oh, Hoshino! Have you seen Makoto? I need to talk to him about something important."

Tarou was shocked by his own words. That's not what he was supposed to say, not what he was supposed to be wondering. Why, why, why?! Why did he feel the need to actually… pursue this absolutely ridiculous request?

"Oh yea, he said he had to leave about ten minutes ago, you have your bike right? You might be able to catch him if it's that important, he's headed toward the station." Hoshino said and Tarou nodded and ran out the building before mumbling a quick thank you to him.

Tarou ran outside and fumbled with his bike helmet as he quickly swung his leg over the bicycle and pedaled as fast as he could to the bus station.

_Why am I so frantic to see him?!_

Tarou pedaled faster, his foot slipping off the pedal for a moment but he quickly regained control as he rode down the street to the station.

"_I'm bored of watching you two try and figure it out on your own." _

The words echoed over and over in his mind as his head kept on spinning to find the answers. The turn to the station down the steep road was coming into view. Figure out what on his own? Figure out what? That maybe his feelings for the pale raven haired boy _were _growing stronger. Was he even ready to admit that?! Could he even think that?!

Tarou's thoughts kept rushing through his head just as the wheels on the bike raced down the hill to see Makoto getting on the bus. Tarou pedaled faster as he watched the boy take the steps onto the bus as the door closed.

"MAKOTO!!"

_I like him…_

_I like him a lot…_

Tarou's eyes widened as he suddenly held the breaks on the handle a little too quickly as he flipped over his bike in what seemed to be in slow motion and landed on his back and landed in the grass patch by the road, his bike sliding right next to him but not hitting him. Tarou groaned in pain as the bus drove away.

…_And this is what I get._

-----------------------

Makoto sighed as he walked through the department store, completely lost. Between "Little Miss" and the section with all the cribs for children he just had no idea where the hell he was.

"Oh can I help you?" the woman asked brightly from behind him.

"Yea… oh it's you, you helped me last time." Makoto said a bit shocked.

"Oh I remember you, you bought that cute little maid costume last time, how's it working out for you?" The woman asked winking at him and Makoto gave her a confused look as he cocked an eyebrow. The woman coughed a bit in the silence. "Anyway, do you need any help?"

"Yea… um," he took off his jacket and handed it to her. "You wouldn't happen to have another one of these, right?"

-----------------------

Tarou limped up the hill with his bike riding alongside him. He kept his eyes fixated on the ground as he headed back to the school. In his haste to catch up to Makoto he had forgotten all of his homework and books at home. He couldn't believe he could be so stupid and all for… for the sake of… him. Tarou sighed as he placed his bike in the bike rack by the school and slowly made his way up to his classroom.

He looked at a nearby clock in the hallway and saw it was 5:00. The sun was beginning to go down but not enough for the sky to turn its pleasant shade of orange. Everyone had already left the school which Tarou was relieved to find as he walked through the halls. He didn't think that he could handle seeing anyone right now, not like this.

He finally rounded the corner to his classroom putting his forehead against the wall and clenching his fist around the handle, collecting himself a bit before going inside. He was about to open the door when he heard an… interesting sound come from the classroom.

"_Ahh… Masayuki… don't… stop it- ahhh." _

Tarou's eyes went wide as he threw the door open only to find… well he wasn't exactly sure.

Hoshino was pressed against one of the desks with Masayuki right on top of him. Their lips were pressed together fervently but their eyes were wide from the sudden opening of the door. Masayuki's hands were pressed against Hoshino's pale lower back and his other hand was resting on his neck bringing their faces together as Hoshino had his own hands clenched in Masayuki's hair.

However, that was not exactly what caught Tarou so… off guard.

In fact it was the cute white knee-high socks, beaded perfectly, the pink, undone dress that hung on Hoshino's shoulders, the frilly apron and of course who could forget the matching bow replacing his glasses as it began to slide out of his hair and onto his face.

Of course the two of them were frozen solid unsure of what to really do. Tarou's eyes were wide and filled with awe and shock. Tarou cleared his throat, blushing at the scene which hadn't changed other than their eyes being snapped open. He slowly headed toward his desk to retrieve his backpack and headed out of the room. He reached to close the door before looking over his shoulder and saying;

"So, you'll return it tomorrow, right?" And with that Tarou shut the door and ran as fast he could with his twisted foot back to his house.

-----------------------

"Wow," Makoto said. "I'm glad you stretched it out, it did seem a little tight." Makoto said observing the new and improved dress that Tarou had handed him that following Sunday. The apron had been transformed into extra layering for the skirt and had now been transformed into what looked like a kid's princess dress-up costume. "Thank you… really for doing this."

"It really isn't a problem," Tarou said as he sat on the bench next to Makoto on the park bench.

"But still, thank you." There was a long silence between the two as Tarou blushed furiously just at being in the presence of his newly realized crush. Tarou opened his mouth before Makoto unintentionally cut him off.

"I wanted… to… get you something nice to make it up to you so… um, here." Makoto said nervously handing him a package.

"…You got me something?" Tarou said shocked. "You really didn't have to." He said as he opened the package and his eyes went wide as his insides felt warm at the thought. He had gotten him a jacket, similar to Makoto's but smaller and in a different color. Tarou pulled the coat over him and instantly felt warmer than he had in his entire life.

"Do… you like it?" Makoto asked.

"Yes… thank you…" Tarou said clutching the sides of the jacket and bowing his head staring aimlessly into the package until something red caught his eye. "What's this?" He wondered as he searched through the tissue paper and pulled out the small piece of lacy cloth.

"…"

Makoto and Tarou stayed silent for a bit until Makoto blushed a bright red.

"I DIDN'T GET YOU THAT!" He yelled out of embarrassment as he snatched the fiery underwear away from the boy and hid it in his coat. "THIS… THIS SALESWOMAN SHE MUST HAVE… I DIDN'T-" Tarou still seemed in shock until he started laughing. Makoto looked over at the laughing boy and began to laugh himself, though not as hard and it was still watered down by the humiliation he felt.

Makoto was entranced by the boy as he continued to laugh, a small shade of scarlet dusting the young boy's cheeks. He couldn't tear his eyes away. He found himself leaning forward to the cheerful face and grabbed his hand before intertwining their fingers together. Tarou opened his eyes slowly and blushed at how close Makoto was to him.

"Makoto…?" Tarou asked in a whisper. Makoto brushed the hair on the side of Tarou's face with his free hand, blushing as he did but refusing to look away from those golden orbs.

"…Is this… not okay?" Makoto asked quietly and Tarou shook his head.

"No… it's… it's fine." Tarou said as Makoto leaned in the remaining inch and pressed his lips softly against the boy's. Tarou, immediately closed his eyes and used his free hand to bring his body closer by clutching Makoto's back and pulling him closer. Makoto pulled away and looked back at Tarou, looking completely flushed before he leaned down to kiss him again. Tarou sighed into the intimate and loving kiss as the two remained like that for some time. Finally they pulled away as they tried to regain their breath. Tarou fell into boy's chest as he smiled contently at the rapid beating of Makoto's heart.

"Thank you," he said simply as he continued to let Makoto hold him in his arms.


End file.
